Privacy Policy

WebSilence — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 August 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the WebSilence browser extension (“WebSilence”, “the extension”, “we”, “us”) handles your information. WebSilence is a website and keyword blocker for focus, productivity, and parental controls. The optional account and sync service is provided through howfixes.com.

We designed WebSilence to collect as little data as possible. We do not sell your data, we do not show ads, and we do not use any third-party advertising or analytics/tracking SDKs.

1. Information we process

a. Data stored only on your device

By default, your settings are stored locally in your browser (via chrome.storage) and, if you have browser sync enabled, are synchronized across your own devices through your browser account (e.g. Google Chrome Sync). This data includes:

• Your blocked websites, allowed (unblocked) websites, and blocked keywords
• Scheduled unblocking rules and the selected security level
• A one-way hash of your optional parental PIN (the PIN itself is never stored)

b. Account data (optional / for sign-in and sync)

If you create an account or sign in (required to use the toolbar pop-up and to sync your lists to the server), we process:

• Your email address (your account identifier)
• Your password, which is transmitted over HTTPS and stored only in a securely hashed form by our WordPress backend — we never store your password in plain text
• Your synced settings from section (a), associated with your account

c. Approximate location (country)

When you register or sign in, our server determines your country from your IP address to help us understand where our users are located. To do this, your IP address is sent to the third-party geolocation service ip-api.com. We store only the resulting country name/code with your account; we do not build a location history.

d. Data processed locally and never sent to us

To block pages, the extension needs to inspect what you are about to open. The following are processed on your device only and are not transmitted to our servers or any third party:

• The URL of the page you are navigating to (checked against your block list)
• The URL of your currently active tab (so you can block it from the pop-up)
• The visible text content of pages you open (scanned in real time for blocked keywords)

We do not log, store, or transmit your browsing activity or the content of the pages you visit.

2. Browser permissions and why we use them

Permission	Why it is needed
storage	Save your settings and sync them across your own devices.
tabs	Read the current tab's address so you can block the current site from the pop-up.
webNavigation	Detect when you navigate to a page so it can be blocked before it loads.
history	Let you pick sites from your recent browsing history to add to the block list. This is used only inside the settings page and is never transmitted.
Host access (<all_urls>)	Apply your blocking rules and keyword checks on the pages you choose to block.

3. How we use information

• To provide the core blocking, scheduling, and parental-control features
• To let you sign in and synchronize your settings across devices
• To understand, in aggregate, the countries our users come from
• To operate, secure, and maintain the service

We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or resale.

4. Third-party services

• howfixes.com (our own backend) — stores your account and synced settings.
• ip-api.com — receives your IP address to return an approximate country. See their privacy terms on their website.
• Your browser's sync service (e.g. Google Chrome Sync) — if enabled by you, synchronizes your local settings across your devices under your control.

5. Data retention

Locally stored settings remain on your device until you remove them or uninstall the extension. Account data and synced settings are retained on our server for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account, the associated data is removed.

6. Your choices and rights

• Use without an account: your custom lists can be managed locally in the settings page without signing in.
• Sign out: signing out from the pop-up clears the synced data cached on your device.
• Access or delete your account data: contact us at the address below to request access to, or deletion of, your account and stored settings.
• Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights (e.g. under the GDPR/KVKK) to access, correct, or erase your personal data.

7. Children's privacy

WebSilence includes parental-control features intended to be configured by a parent or guardian. It is not directed to children for the purpose of collecting their personal data, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

8. Security

All communication with our backend uses HTTPS. Passwords are stored only as secure hashes and your parental PIN is stored only as a one-way hash. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect your information.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date above.

10. Contact